Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-06-08
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OLD SORREL.
Ofobscure birth.
Heachieved fame.
The faithful servant
. noble master.
he died March II, 1886,
Aged SO years.

cling; if, however, his rider dismounted, he
would refresh himself by promptly lying
down without waiting to have the trappings
removed. Although the saddle suffered
from the contact with the earth his owner
would not allow him to be disturbed. The
horse was very fond of apples, and the
General always remembered him when that
delicacy could be had. Little Sorrel soon
became thoroughly trained steed. If his
rider was deep in the mysteries of some
plans he wonld suit his gait to the humor:
he often heard the soft accents of muttered
prayer, and bore himself with a show of
solemnity until some dashing courier on a
spirited horse or the ''song of a she'll"
aroused him to bear himself like the ar
horse that he was. The horse loved the
roar of battle and the rush of charge, and
chafed undar close rein and logged re-
treat.
jackson did not know music, and once
showed his dullness for it by asking young
lady if she had ever heard song called
''Dixie," and when she had finished sing
ing it he seemed much pleased, but did not
recognize the air played every day by the
bands in the army But there was one
kind of music which he always recognized
it was the yell with which his troops
always greeted him when he appeared be-
fore them. He always acknowledged the
compliment by taking off his gray cap, and
Little Soriel, catching the inspiration of
the moment, would break into gallop and
continue it until the sound had ceased. The
inmates of the Soldiers Home say that up
to the last he retained his fondness for the
sound of a gun; that when the boys would
fire rapidly in the neighberhood, killing
robins, the horse would trot off in the
direction and leok over the fence with great
interest; turning with the change of direc-
ton he woule trot off in search of the
sound. II is rather remarkable that the
horse WAS never wounded, although he
bore Jackson through his campaigns of
Romney. Mcdowell, Port Republic, Win
chester, Cross Keys, Cold Harbor, second
Manassas, Fredericksburg and the fatal
field of Charlottesville. During the Mary
land campaign Jackson rode handsome
gray, presented to him by an admiring
Marylauder, and came near losing his life
by the horse falling on him. He had also
a very handsome sorrel presented to him by
the people of Augusta, Ga.
It was at Charlottesville, after vigor-
Gus stroke. when jackson, by a prompt
movement. had cut Rockers line in two,
capturing many prisoners and guns, that
Little Surrel was to lose his most devoted
friend. | appears that jackson rode out
with three or four members of his staff to
reconnoitre; when they returned it was
dark. the troops that saw him pass had
been relieved by others, who were instruct
ed to fire upon the approach of anything
indicating the enemy; these were startled
by the approach of horses hoofs in rapid
canter and delivered one or two volleys.-
The result of this assault was the unhors-
ing of jackson with wound in the right
hand, another in the upper part of the right
arm, aud Il third in the left arm. These
wounds we're not necessarily fatal, but soon
after he took to his bed pneumonia develop
ed, With fatal result. Little Sorrel was
stampeded when the confusion that follow
ed the BILE accident was at it's height,
and it was feared that the little horse had
escaped i,'1o the enemy's lines. The next
day some If Stuarts men found him and
returned him to headquarters.
After thp death of Jackson the favorihe
of the camp was sent to Mrs. Jackson at
her home near Charlotte, n. c. A few
years ago, 10 response to an urgent request,
she sent him to the Virginia Military Insti.
tute, where her husband was professor at
the beginning of the wal. The horse was
sent to the New Orleans Exposition to be
exhibited for the benefit of the Confederate
Home and for the Jackson Monument
Fund Hi life was shortened by the trip
and by cold contracted while SOUTH
After his return he was consigned to the
care of tina inmates of the Home near Rich
mond; some of them having kept step with
him in the trying times when their beloved
leader was on his back. The horse was an
object of much interest to visitors to the
Soldiers HDme, and great pet of the
veterans.
Old Sorrsl has passed through the smani-
kin method of taxidermy, and fair pre-.
sentation Of the original has been secured.
His skeleton is also to be articulated.
As the hnrse had been allowed to go I'M
shod from the time he was carried from the
battle field his hoofs had grown to an enor-
nous length. These were trimmed to the
proper s4zs. The position given. the horse
is an easy one, on an inclined plane finished
to represent stone. With proper care the
horse will last for many years.